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"Swish~"
Su Wen soaked himself in the pool, leaving only his head above the surface, enjoying a rare moment of tranquility.
It was deep into the night. Until Elder Xuan returned, no one dared to venture further into the core of the Star Dou Forest, so they had decided to remain camped here for another night.
Zhang Lexuan was on night watch along with a tall, long-legged senior student.
Su Wen, meanwhile, had been dragged into the same wooden hut by Ma Xiaotao—only to be kicked out a few minutes later because he stank.
Well, of course he did. After half a month wandering the Star Dou Forest with barely any clothes and not enough food, he was more like a wild man than anything else. With a constant struggle for survival, where was the time to bathe?
Gale, his wind baboon, had transformed into a white sphere and was quietly floating in his spiritual sea. Although it behaved more like a detached martial soul that wouldn't consume soul power even when outside, it still preferred staying inside its spirit orb.
Each spirit orb came with its own internal space. Though much smaller than the vast Star Dou Forest, it was peaceful, safe, and free from any intrusion. Even on the forest's outskirts, wind baboons ranked near the bottom of the food chain, which was why they banded together for survival. Now that Gale had found such a safe and comfortable place, it had grown rather fond of staying inside the orb.
The summer night breeze was refreshing, brushing gently against Su Wen's upper body exposed above the water.
Enjoying the rare peace, he pulled out a small bottle of pills.
"Bone-Cleansing Pill. It has the same medicinal properties as the Profound Jade Pill Huo Yuhao used in the original story—just a more straightforward name. And coming from Eldest Senior Sister Lexuan, the potency should be nothing to scoff at."
Su Wen nodded thoughtfully. He remembered that this kind of pill would purge impurities from the body through the skin in the form of a pitch-black sludge—perfect to deal with while taking a bath.
"Gulp~"
Without hesitation, he swallowed the pill.
A wave of warmth surged from his abdomen, activating his meridians. Su Wen quickly sat cross-legged in the water and began cultivating using the meditation technique he'd learned from Zhang Lexuan earlier that day, trying his best not to waste the scorching energy flowing through him.
"Buzz..."
Ripples spread out from Su Wen's body, gently disturbing the water's surface and startling a flurry of insect chirps into the air.
Time passed unnoticed.
Su Wen slowly opened his eyes.
A stunningly beautiful face suddenly appeared right before him, its bright eyes curiously studying him.
"Hiss..."
Startled, Su Wen reflexively leaned back—only to lose his balance in the water. He flailed, his head going under as he swallowed several mouthfuls before the figure in front of him reached out, pulled him up, and held him in her arms.
"Sister Xiaotao, can you not sneak up on me like that?" Su Wen coughed out a stream of water, complaining helplessly.
"Hey, I was worried something might happen to you, so I've been standing guard here bored for three or four hours, and now you're complaining to me?" The girl poked his forehead playfully. "You think I enjoy staying up all night? Am I crazy?"
"..."
Su Wen wanted to nod, but her sharp red eyes, slightly narrowed and glowing with a dangerous glint, made him wisely reconsider.
"Alright, let's dry you off so you can get back to sleep."
Ma Xiaotao sprang up with a light step, her toes barely brushing the ground. Only then did Su Wen realize—she was also here to bathe…
The sight of her glowing pale skin almost blinded him.
"Gurgle~"
He lost his balance again, falling back into the water and gulping down a few more mouthfuls.
The air filled with melodious laughter like tinkling bells.
Covering his rear and other crucial parts, Su Wen scrambled onto the shore, about to get dressed when Ma Xiaotao stopped him. "What are you so shy about? Is a little kid like you afraid that big sis will see everything?"
As she spoke, flames rose in her palm.
A wave of warmth dispelled the night's chill, drying Su Wen's soaked body in the process.
"Phew..."
Feeling the warmth seep into his clean clothes, the shame from moments earlier finally faded. But then something caught his attention. He examined his clothes and gave them a slight sniff—there was the faint smell of recently dried fabric, mixed with a subtle fragrance. Clearly, they had been washed.
Su Wen glanced sideways at Ma Xiaotao, surprised.
Her?!!
He hadn't expected her to be so considerate.
"What's with that look?" she grumbled, poking him in the forehead again.
"Nothing, Sister Xiaotao. Let's go back—I'm really sleepy…"
Su Wen rubbed his eyes.
Even though refining the Bone-Cleansing Pill had boosted his soul power by one level, fatigue still surged through him. Normally, meditation wouldn't cause drowsiness, but maybe it was a side effect of just having awakened his martial soul.
Inside the wooden hut.
While Su Wen slept soundly, Ma Xiaotao found she wasn't tired anymore. She sat with her long legs drawn together, her eyes gentle as she gazed at him.
"Sleep well. From now on, you're one of Shrek's own..."
Su Wen snuggled against the soft pillow pressed to his chest. In a daze, he remembered that he had transmigrated. As he slowly opened his eyes, he saw a blur of white.
The "pillow" he was hugging… turned out to be a long leg.
"You're awake?"
Following the voice upward, he saw Ma Xiaotao standing with her arms crossed, a teasing smirk on her face.
"Ahaha…" Su Wen scratched his head awkwardly.
As he let go of the beautiful leg, a faint, lingering fragrance still tickled his nose.
No wonder she has the best figure in all of Shrek.
"Here, this is your uniform. Eldest Senior Sister Lexuan dropped it off this morning… You know, she's the academy's top genius. Only twenty and already at the peak of Soul Sage—her future is limitless." Ma Xiaotao handed him a new red-and-white school uniform.
Su Wen tried it on. It fit perfectly.
It wasn't baggy or cumbersome—it looked sharp and clean, clearly tailored to his exact measurements.
So this is the treatment of a "true insider"?
Su Wen grinned.
Back at the camp, the group was chatting and laughing, full of youthful energy.
When they saw Su Wen in his new uniform, their gazes grew warmer. Zhang Yi—the one who had brought out the awakening stone yesterday—was talking with Zhang Lexuan. When he spotted Su Wen leaving the hut, he walked over and gave him a hearty slap on the shoulder. "Little Wen, we're brothers now. If anyone in the Inner Court gives you trouble, just drop my name."
"Thanks, Senior Brother Zhang Yi." Su Wen smiled and nodded politely.
Shrek really did have a strong sense of unity. Especially within the Inner Court.
Clap, clap, clap~
Elder Xuan appeared out of nowhere, clapping to draw everyone's attention. He still looked as laid-back as ever.
"Alright. Su Wen has obtained his first soul ring. That means we're moving out. Let's try to reach the core of the Star Dou Forest before sundown. Lexuan will lead the team. As for Su Wen... he'll stick with me."
"Understood." Zhang Lexuan nodded slightly.
Su Wen let out a quiet sigh of relief.
He'd wanted to follow Elder Xuan anyway—to act as a sort of "alarm clock"—so this saved him the trouble of asking.
Ma Xiaotao pouted slightly, clearly reluctant to part with him.
Elder Xuan rolled his eyes. "He's just a kid. The rest of you are Soul Kings and Soul Emperors and can take a beating. If you run into a group of ten-thousand-year soul beasts, who's going to protect him? You? A mere Soul King?"
Su Wen was just starting to be impressed by Elder Xuan's rare display of responsibility when—
"Ahem, and besides, Elder Mu specifically told me to take care of him. You can do whatever you want after we're back at the academy."
Elder Xuan clicked his tongue.
Oh…
That makes more sense.
Su Wen smiled knowingly.
(End of Chapter)